Theme: "Risk Factor" - Parse RISK as "R is K". R is changed into K in each theme entry.
22A. Battle of vampire slayers? : STAKING CONTEST. Staring contest.
35A. "'Dash away' yourself, Santa! We're tired!"? : HOLIDAY CHEEK. Holiday cheer.
53A. Band of vipers' rhythm section? : SNAKE DRUMS. Snare drums.
62. With 65-Across, malt shop accountant's calculation? : EARNINGS. And 65. See 62-Across : PER SHAKE. Earnings per share.
76A. Time when all farms used plow-pulling oxen? : DAYS OF YOKE. Days of yore.
92A. Angler's slang? : FISHING SPEAK. Fishing spear.
109A. Soda jerk's course of study? : COKE CURRICULUM. Core curriculum.
16D. Satirize the screwball? : SEND UP A FLAKE. Not familiar with the phrase "send up a flare".
58D. Portrait of a libertine? : RAKE PAINTING. Rare painting. I feel it's not as solid as
rare coin".
rare coin".
Another great title! It captures the gimmick so perfectly.
I also like how Warren split up EARNINGS PER SHAKE and intersected PER SHAKE with one more themer. Creative gridding.
Across:
1. No-trade policy : EMBARGO. Solid start.
8. 1954 Ford debut : T-BIRD
13. Vacillate : SEESAW
19. Brit's beauty shop : PARLOUR.
I was thinking of The Body Shop, which is a British company. Alas, they
only have one store here in MN. Mall of America of course.
20. Geographical symbol of Middle America : PEORIA
21. Beat the wheat : THRESH
24. Bandleader Tito : PUENTE
25. Eponymous virologist : SALK
26. Eric Cartwright's nickname : HOSS. Never watched "Bonanza".
27. Like some seals : EARED
29. Poor mark : DEE
30. Indefinite period : WHILE. Always with "a".
32. Japanese chip maker : NEC. 117 years old now. Much older than Intel.
33. Once around : ORBIT
34. Hair ringlet : CURL
39. Hickok's last hand, so it's said : ACES UP. Dead man's hand.
41. Yves' yes : OUI
42. Hefty Cinch__ bags : SAK
43. River to the Ohio : WABASH. Wiki says it's the "state river of Indiana".
45. Marathoner's concern : CRAMP
48. Language spoken by Jesus : ARAMAIC
51. Enter again : RE-TYPE
52. Science major's cost : LAB FEE
55. Mom, dad, sibs, etc. : FAM
56. Cholesterol letters : LDL. "Bad" cholesterol.
57. Jason's ship : ARGO. So happy you're out of the woods now, Lemonade.
59. Quebec's __ Peninsula : GASPE. Learning moment for me.
60. Pound foot : PAW. I thought the clue might be some kind of unit.
61. Order from a stool : ALE
68. Ararat lander : ARK
69. Youngster : BOY
70. Boat, or the tool that moves it : SCULL. Nice clue.
73. Tony winner Judith : IVEY. I forgot. We had her before.
74. Dessert option : PIE. Quite a few food references in this grid. 75. Starchy tuber : YAM. 104. Celebrate an anniversary, with "out" : DINE. 23. After-dinner request : CHECK. 38. Devour : EAT UP 54. Like a soufflé : EGGY. 91. Baked potato topping : CHIVES
79. Thrusting blade : RAPIER
81. Used as security, in a way : PAWNED. We passed by the Pawn Stars shop in Vegas a few times. Never went in.
82. Words behind Lincoln? : ONE CENT
86. Bias : SLANT
87. Temple with an upcurved roof : PAGODA. The
first one is the famous Wild Goose Pagoda in my hometown Xi'an. The
curve in the second pagoda from Japan is more pronounced.
88. Calendar col. : TUE
89. Golf course meas. : YDs
90. Promise qualifier : IF I CAN
96. "Yikes!" : OH NO
98. HDTV part, for short : HI-DEF
100. Texter's "Yikes!" : OMG
101. Barely eats : PICKS
102. Billboard __ 100 : HOT
103. Pastel shade : LILAC
106. Host before and after O'Brien : LENO
107. "Nightfall" story writer : ASIMOV. Got via crosses.
114. Decide not to : RENEGE
115. Square quartet : ANGLES. Easy in retrospect.
116. North African capital : TRIPOLI. Not ALGIERS. Same letter count.
117. Boston College athletes : EAGLES.
A la Wiki: The Boston College mascot is Baldwin the Eagle, an American
bald eagle whose name is a pun derived from the bald head of the eagle
and the word "win."
118. Exxon__ : MOBIL
119. Gets incensed : SEES RED
Down:
1. Mini-albums, for short : EPs
2. Shoe-wiping spot : MAT
3. Portuguese-speaking capital : BRASILIA. Here
is a list of countries/territories where Portuguese is the official
language. Though close to Hong Kong, Macau cuisine is quite different
due to the Portuguese influence.
4. Its pH is more than 7 : ALKALI
5. Muddied : ROILED
6. Goop : GUNK
7. Cousin of com : ORG
8. A thousand's hundred : TENs
9. High-tech workers : BOTS. Not people.
10. Steam : IRE
11. It helps some singers see the choir leader : RISER. Got via crosses.
12. Sortable information source : DATABASE
13. Fla. coastal city : ST. PETE
14. Barak who succeeded Netanyahu : EHUD
15. Before, in verse : ERE
17. Autumn bloom : ASTER
18. Stagecoach roller : WHEEL
20. Hound : POOCH
28. Loaded : RICH
30. "Now just a darn minute!" : WHOA
31. Labor bill unit : HOUR. Boomer likes to chat with the repairman. I wonder if they add the chat time into the bill.
32. City near the Tappan Zee Bridge : NYACK. Stranger to me.
33. "No prob" : OK BY ME. Sparkly 6-letter fill.
34. Control : CURB
36. Group with the albums "Aqua" and "Aria" : ASIA
37. Still-life subjects : EWERS
40. Shell game, say : SCAM
44. H.S. VIPs : APs. Assistant Principals?
46. Sampling of songs : MEDLEY
47. Soccer superstar : PELE
49. Cath. church VIP : MSGR. Monsignor. I googled this last time.
50. Presently : ANON
51. Dietary stds. : RDAs
52. Newton trio : LAWS
55. Much : FAR
57. Passé reception aid : AERIAL
60. Ill-gotten gains : PELF. Not LOOT or SWAG.
63. Building beam : I-BAR
64. __ de plume : NOM
65. Proceed tediously : PLOD
66. Travel with a pack : HIKE. Oh, backpack.
67. "__ plaisir!" : AVEC
68. Financing nos. : APRs. APR = Annual Percentage Rate.
70. Prune : SAW OFF
71. Singer Lauper : CYNDI
72. "__ directed" : USE AS
75. Mountain myth : YETI. Just the Himalayan.
76. Former U.N. leader Hammarskjöld : DAG
77. Inexperienced : YOUNG
78. Versatile type in medicine, briefly : O NEG
80. Dope : INFO
81. Zoo observation gadget : PANDA CAM. Melissa and I debuted this fill a few months ago.
83. Brown, often : EYE COLOR. Melissa's surname is Brown.
84. Site of the U.S. continent's geographical midpoint : N DAK
85. Disapproving sounds : TSKs
87. Beach building aid : PAIL
88. Cellphone feature : TIMER
93. Baseball Hall of Famer Wagner : HONUS. Here is the famous T206 card. This might be a reprint, given its pristine condition.
94. Coinage : SPECIE. Not a word I use.
95. Man cave art : PIN-UPS
96. Popular connection point : O'HARE. Tricky clue.
97. Biblical prophet : HOSEA
99. __ Lodge : ECONO
103. Theater section : LOGE
104. Department with a scale : DELI. I sure was not thinking of supermarket.
105. Eur. republic since 1944 : ICEL (Iceland)
106. Old Pisa dough : LIRE
108. B or C of the Spice Girls : MEL
110. Cold War spy gp. : KGB
111. Civil things: Abbr. : RTS (Rights)
112. Small ending : ULE. Not LET.
113. Central beginning : MID
Happy
Birthday to dear Husker Gary, our incomparable puzzle sherpa and
friend. What's the plan today, Gary? Pick up some fresh pears?
 |
| Joann, Granddaughter Elise & Gary |
C.C.
